Home • PRRES Inc. Journal • Read the Journal

Effect of Housing Ownership on Young People’s Decisions to Enter into the Union of Marriage

Author/s: Charbel ABBOUD, Houwayda MATTA, Maroun KHATER

Date Published:

Published in: Volume 28 - 2022/2023 Issue 2 (pages 138 - 176)

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine the link between housing ownership and marriage in Lebanon. This study considers data from the evaluative research of three affordable housing projects implemented by a non-profit organisation. The data covers the 295 owners who purchased houses from this organisation between 1995 and 2003. The study was conducted in 2019. We used the data from the non-profit organisation’s projects in Lebanon because in the 1990s, Lebanon experienced an unprecedented housing crisis and delay in marriage ceremonies. As a result, this non-governmental organisation implemented three housing projects to encourage young people to marry. By using mixed methods, the findings reveal a significant impact of housing ownership on the young people’s decisions to marry. Therefore, this study confirms the effectiveness of a non-profit organisation’s construction programs. It also encourages the Lebanese government and all governments in collaboration with the private sector and nonprofit organisations to deliver more affordable housings and facilitate access to home ownership for young people. Additionally, governments may create appropriate public policies to control the real estate market. This will ease the issues associated with postponed marriage, and increase the financial support for young people’s ability to purchase a house.

Download Full Article

Download the Full Article PDF

Effect-of-Housing-Ownership-on-Young-Peoples-Decisions-to-Enter-into-the-Union-of-Marriage.pdf Effect-of-Housing-Ownership-on-Young-Peoples-Decisions-to-Enter-into-the-Union-of-Marriage.pdf (467kB)

Keywords

Affordable Housing - Home Ownership - Housing Crisis - Housing Policy - Marriage - Young People

References

  • Assaad, R., Krafft, C., & Dominique, J. R. (2017). The role of housing markets in the timing of marriage in Egypt, Jordan, and Tunisia. Economic Research Forum Working Paper Series, 1081.
  • Baharoglu, D., Peltier, N., & Buckley, R. (2005). The Macroeconomic and sectoral performance of housing supply policies in selected MENA countries: A comparative analysis.
  • Borsch-Supan, A. (1986). Household formation, housing prices, and public policy impacts. The Journal of Public Economics, 30, 145–164.
  • Browning, M., Chiappori, P. A., & Weiss, Y. (2014). Economics of the Family; Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, NY, USA.
  • Buckley, R. M., & Kalarickal, J. (2005). Housing policy in developing countries: Conjectures and refutations. The World Bank Research Observer, 20(2), 233-257.
  • Cheung, W. K. S., Chan, J. T. K., & Monkkonen, P. (2020). Marriage-induced homeownership as a driver of housing booms: evidence from Hong Kong. Housing Studies, 35(4), 720-742.
  • Chiu, R. L. (2007). Planning, land and affordable housing in Hong Kong. Housing Studies, 22(1), 63-81.
  • Chu, C. C., Lin, J. C., & Tsay, W. J. (2020). Males’ housing wealth and their marriage market advantage. Journal of Population Economics, 33, 1005-1023.
  • Clark, W. A., Deurloo, M. C., & Dieleman, F. M. (1994). Tenure changes in the context of micro level family and macro level economic shifts. Urban Studies, 31, 137–154.
  • Clark, W. A., & Dieleman, F. M. (1996). Households and Housing: Choice and Outcomes in the Housing Market. Transaction Publishers.
  • Dhillon, N., Salehi-Isfahani, D., Dyer, P., Yousef, T., Fahmy, A., & Kraetsch, M. (2009). Missed by the boom, hurt by the bust: Making markets work for young people in the Middle East. Washington, DC: MEYI.
  • Edin, K., & Reed, J. M. (2005). Why don’t they just get married? Barriers to marriage amongst the disadvantaged. The Future of Children, 15, 117–137.
  • Edlund, L., Li, H., J., & Zhang, J. (2013). Sex ratios and crime: Evidence from China. Review of Economics and Statistics, 95(5), 1520–1534.
  • Feijten, P., & Mulder, C. H. (2002). The timing of household events and housing events in the Netherlands: A longitudinal perspective. Housing Studies, 17(5), 773–792.
  • Fisher, J. D., & Gervais, M. (2011). Why has home ownership fallen among the young?. International Economic Review, 52(3), 883 – 912.
  • Gholipour, H. F., & Farzanegan, M. R. (2015). Marriage crisis and housing costs: Empirical evidence from provinces of Iran. Journal of Policy Medeling, 37(1), 107 – 123.
  • González-Val, R. (2022). House prices and marriage in Spain. Sustainability, 14(5), 2848.
  • Gurran, N., Maalsen, S., & Shrestha, P. (2022). Is ‘informal’housing an affordability solution for expensive cities? Evidence from Sydney, Australia. International Journal of Housing Policy, 22(1), 10-33.
  • Hammam, S. (2014). Housing matters. World Bank Policy Research Working Paper, 6876.
  • Hatem, R. (1992). 400000 logements à construire : Avec quels crédits ?. le Commerce du Levant, 5278, 26.
  • Hendershott, P. H., Ong, R., Wood, G. A., & Flatau, P. (2009). Marital history and home ownership: Evidence from Australia. Journal of Housing Economics, 18(1), 13 – 24.
  • Hu, M., & Wang, X. (2020). Homeownership and household formation: no homeownership, no marriage?. Journal of Housing and the Built Environment, 35, 763 – 781.
  • Hu, M., Wu, L., Xiang, G. & Zhong, S. (2023). Housing prices and the probability of marriage among the young: Evidence from land reform in China. International Journal of Emerging Markets, 18(2), 420 -438.
  • Kendig, H. L. (1984). Housing careers, life cycle and residential mobility: Implications for the housing market. Urban Studies, 21, 271–283.
  • Labaki, B. (2008). Les chrétiens du Liban (1943 2008). Confluences en Méditerranée, 66(66), 99 – 116.
  • Lauster, N. T., & Fransson, U. (2006). Of Marriages and Mortgages: The Second Demographic Transition and the Relationship between Marriage and Homeownership in Sweden. Housing Studies, 21(6), 909 – 927.
  • Li, L., & Wu, X. (2014). Housing price and entrepreneurship in China. Journal of Comparative Economics, 42(2), 436 – 449.
  • Malpezzi S. (1999). A simple error correction model of house prices. Journal of housing economics, 8(1), 27-62.
  • Marie-Fabienne, F. (1996). Le processus de la recherche, de la conception à la réalisation. Québec. Decarie Editeur inc.
  • Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (2003). Analyse des données qualitatives. De Boeck Supérieur.
  • Montgomery, M. (1992). Household formation and home-ownership in France. Demographic Applications of Event History Analysis, edited by Trussell, J., Hankinson, R., & Tilton, J., 94–119.
  • Mulder, C. H., Billari, F. C. (2010). Homeownership regimes and low fertility. Housing Studies, 25, 527–541.
  • Mulder, C. H., & Lauster, N. T. (2010). Housing and family: An introduction. Housing Studies, 25(4), 433-440.
  • Mulder, C. H., & Wagner, M. (1998). First-time Home-ownership in the Family Life Course: A West German-Dutch Comparison. Urban Studies, 35(4), 687–713.
  • Mulder, C. H., & Wagner, M. (1998). First-time home-ownership in the family life course: A West German-Dutch comparison. Urban Studies, 35(4), 687–713.
  • Rindfuss, R. R., & Brauner-Otto, S. R. (2008). Institutions and the transition to adulthood: Implications for fertility tempo in low-fertility settings. Vienna Yearbook of Population, Research/Vienna Institute of Demography, Austrian Academy of Sciences, 57.
  • Special Assembly For Lebanon (1995), Christ is our hope: Renewed by His Spirit, in solidarity we bear witness to His love. https://www.secretariat.synod.va
  • South, S. J., & Spitze, G. (1986). Determinants of divorce over the marital life course. American sociological review, 583-590.
  • Su, C. W., Khan, K., Hao, L. N., Tao, R., & Peculea, A. D. (2020). Do house prices squeeze marriages in China?. Economic research-Ekonomska istraživanja, 33(1), 1419-1440.
  • Van Bortel, G., & Gruis, V. (2019). Innovative arrangements between public and private actors in affordable housing provision: examples from Austria, england and Italy. Urban Science, 3(2), 52.
  • Wei, S. J., & Zhang, X. (2011). The competitive saving motive: Evidence from rising sex ratios and savings rates in China. Journal of political Economy, 119(3), 511-564.
  • Wrenn, D. H., Yi, J., & Zhang, B. (2019). House prices and marriage entry in China. Regional Science and Urban Economics, 74, 118–130.
  • Zhao, C., Chen, B., & Li., X. (2023). Rising housing prices and marriage delays in China: Evidence from the urban land transaction policy. Cities, 135, 104214.